Woodside Gets a New Challenger for Backup QB

The Tennessee Titans signed veteran Matt Barkley and released DeShone Kizer on Thursday.

Bring on the next challenger.

Logan Woodside strengthened his hold on the Tennessee Titans’ backup quarterback spot Thursday when Matt Barkley was signed and DeShone Kizer was released.

Woodside and Kizer were expected to go toe-to-toe throughout training camp and the preseason but things quickly turned one-sided. Kizer too often looked indecisive and threw several interceptions during the first week of training camp practices.

“DeShone’s been great,” Woodside said last week. “We’ve been working hard together, and [I have been] learning things from him. And I’m sure he’s been doing the same. So, it’s been good.”

Woodside was elevated to the No. 2 role early in the offseason last year following a season as No. 3 behind Ryan Tannehill and Marcus Mariota. He made quick work of 2020 draft pick Cole McDonald during last year’s training camp and now has dispatched Kizer. In between those two was Trevor Siemian, who was on the practice squad and was the Titans’ quarantine quarterback for much of last season (he remained separate from the team to ensure his availability in the event of a COVID-19 breakout within the team) until the New Orleans Saints signed him to their active roster. Call that one a no contest.

For his career, Woodside, 26, has attempted just three passes in the NFL. His lone completion was on a fake punt.

Now comes Barkley, a fourth-round pick by Philadelphia in 2013 who has appeared in 19 games with seven starts for his NFL career. He has attempted 363 passes (212 completions) and has thrown twice as many interceptions (22) as touchdown passes (11).

Barkley, 30, has spent time with six teams (he was with Arizona twice) but has played games for just three of them, Philadelphia, Chicago and Buffalo. He spent the last three years with the Bills and appeared in eight games with one start. He saw action in five games but attempted just 21 passes last season.

The next episode.. I’ve signed with the @Titans!

— Matt Barkley (@MattBarkley) August 5, 2021

Kizer joined the Titans on Nov. 24, 2020 as the replacement to Siemian and finished the regular season as the quarantine quarterback. He finally got to work with his teammates in person during organized team activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp in May and June and looked like a viable contender for the job as Tannehill’s backup.

A second-round pick by Cleveland in 2017, he has been with four NFL franchises but has not played in a regular season game since 2018.

“It’s been a long time coming, trying to find my way back in to get an opportunity to be in position to play,” Kizer said last week. “I feel like this is one of the most solid situations I’ve been in. I just have to continue to compete and, hopefully, become a better quarterback each day.”

Now, he will have to find another team to give him the chance.